So, let me explain our situation. Jango, who turned 4 months old yesterday, never barks at home (except at the hoover when it’s on :P).
On walks, however, it’s always been a completely different story. He barks at other dogs as soon as he sees one. Same with children, wheelchairs, and shopping trolleys. He used to bark at cyclists and joggers too, but after seeing them so often, he's stopped; now he just stops to watch them go by, clearly wanting to chase them, but he doesn't bark at them anymore.
But when it comes to dogs and kids, nothing’s changed. Not only does he bark really loudly, but he also pulls on the lead to lunge at them, and doesn't stop until they’re out of sight. As a result, parents and other dog owners move out of our way, so Jango doesn't get to meet them... especially the children, as he sees dogs in plenty of other situations.
We go to puppy classes once a week (closed in August) and we try to go on organised walks with local dogs once or twice a week so he can play off-lead. Even then, he barks a lot at the other dogs, but he does play with them (and gets put in his place by the older ones who don't want to play with a baby ^^).
So, I’m looking for some advice on how to get him to bark a bit less. I think he’ll grow out of it eventually, but I mostly just don't understand the behaviour; when he barks at dogs and kids, his tail isn't between his legs, so I don't think he’s scared. It seems more like he’s trying to act 'tough' or impress them... anyway, I’m not really sure, which is why I’m turning to you for some explanations and maybe some tips :)
Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance for your replies!
Translated from French
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Hello, my White Swiss Shepherd, who I adopted when she was 16 months old, barks and pulls on the lead whenever we pass another dog. I’ve been in touch with a dog behaviourist and we worked together without any real results, and I’ve also tried a dog training school where we worked on it again, but she’s still barking and pulling—I really struggle to hold her. She isn’t aggressive, but her behaviour stops us from taking her out with us as much as we’d like. Can anyone offer any advice? Thanks
As mentioned before, this could be instinctive. In ethology, we call this a motor pattern. This means the behaviour is genetically hard-wired and innate, "programmed" to manifest in response to certain stimuli.
Chasing and "playing the sheepdog" is a motor pattern in certain dogs.
Keep a close eye on any calming signals your dog might be showing, especially as soon as he sees something in motion (another dog, a person, a bike, a car, etc.). This will help you get a better handle on your dog's mood.
What you’re describing sounds more like over-excitement to me. Since he’s still a puppy, that obviously doesn't help matters; and it's perfectly normal for adult dogs to reject him or show a lack of interest in this situation.
If it is indeed high excitement, then it’s also completely normal for him to bark more when he’s on the lead than when he’s off-lead.
Raised hackles can mean several different things.
It could be a sign of fear or surprise, an attempt at intimidation, or even a sudden burst of high excitement.
Hi, what breed is your pup? If he's an Australian Shepherd or a Border Collie (I'm going by your profile pic :s), and if he isn't barking out of fear or anything else, it might just be down to instinct. I’ve read that sometimes, in a group, their behaviour can give the impression of them "playing shepherd" – well, maybe that’s exactly what he’s missing: some herding work. An Aussie or a Border (or any other herding breed, really) with a strong instinct and a real need to use it will try to redirect it onto his environment if he can. Wanting to chase kids, joggers, or bikes; trying to herd other dogs; constantly pulling on the lead... some even go as far as doing the same thing with moving cars (and that’s when it gets dangerous :/ ), barking at anything or anyone that moves, etc. Why not try to find some herding classes near you? I know it’s not necessarily easy for everyone and they aren't available everywhere, but it might help. :) Obviously, it’s hard to judge through a screen without having seen the dog in person...
I hope this helps anyway! :)
Hi everyone,
So, after watching him closely, I’ve noticed a few different scenarios:
Sometimes, when we're out on a lead walk, he can be perfectly calm from start to finish without barking at anyone (as long as there are no other dogs around).
Then there are other walks where EVERYTHING seems to be an excuse for a barking fit. When he gets like this, he pulls as hard as he can on the lead, stands up on his hind legs and, most notably, his hackles go right up, especially if there's another dog nearby... :/ So, is it fear? Or something else?
On the other hand, during group walks (if there aren’t more than 5 or 6 dogs), he barks a lot for the first 10 minutes when he's off-lead, but then he settles down and plays (if the others are up for it xD he often gets snubbed by the older dogs) and only barks if one of the dogs growls at another or in that kind of situation. Generally speaking, when he’s off-lead, he barks much less, whether it’s at other dogs, children, or things on wheels!
So if you have any advice, I’m all ears. I really don’t want this behaviour to become a permanent habit and I want to try and nip it in the bud as soon as possible!
Hi there,
Barking can happen for several different reasons: an invitation to play, sounding the alarm, and so on...
In this case, I think your puppy just wants to play with the others. What position is he in when he's doing that?
My pup also barks when he sees other dogs, but I’ve noticed he only does it when he wants to play or say hello. So, when I pass other dogs, I just smile at the owners and explain that he’s still a baby and is just being playful. It’s a great icebreaker and people are much friendlier; they’re often happy to stop so the dogs can ‘say hello’ to one another.
Thanks so much :)
I’m going to keep an even closer eye on him now to try and figure out what’s triggering it.
The interesting thing is that he behaves exactly the same way when he’s off-lead playing with other dogs. He barks at them and chases them around (sometimes it really feels like he’s playing sheepdog with the other dogs, like he’s trying to herd them all together). We’ve got some sheep near us and we often go for walks past their paddock. You used to be able to tell he was barking out of fear, but now he goes right up to the fence, "bounces" around, and gives them a sniff when they come closer. These days, he only barks to call them over (which doesn’t work particularly well ^^).
So, I’m thinking of getting him around other dogs as much as possible, both on and off-lead. I want to see how his behaviour varies, and if nothing changes, I’ll get in touch with a professional :)
"Acting tough" can be a way of scaring others off and is often used by a dog who’s actually afraid. My dog, Haï Olly, does exactly this even though he’s an adult... if the behaviour is rooted in fear, it ends up being reinforced because the "others" move out of the dog's sight. His strategy works, so it’s rewarded. Because of that, he won’t just grow out of it; on the contrary, it’s likely to become an ingrained habit.
It would be a good idea to make sure it isn't fear-related. It could also be due to over-excitement, but what you said about the joggers makes me lean more towards fear. You’ll need to keep a close eye on him and have a think about it—don’t hesitate to get a good dog behaviourist in. It might seem a bit premature, but you have much more room for manoeuvre before these behaviours really set in!
